Beat Kaestli turns his attention to the Great American Songbook on Invitation, his
auspicious debut for Chesky Records. Recorded in the placid environment of St.Peter's Church in Chelsea, home base for all Chesky sessions, this stirring collection of jazz standards is the perfect showcase for Kaestli's hauntingly beautiful voice, which falls somewhere in the Chet Baker - Kenny Rankin range and is imbued with pristine articulation, naturally relaxed phrasing and uncanny feeling.Kaestli's unique interpretations of these oft-covered tunes are purely personal and often provocative, as on his slow, smoldering take on the Cole Porter classic, I've Got You Under My Skin which, in the wake of Frank Sinatra's definitive 1956 big band version, has generally been done as an extroverted, effervescent swinger. But as the Swiss-born vocalist
says, I've always felt that the lyrics are not really reflected well enough in that kind of swinging, almost fun way. It's actually a very deep song. There's so much longing, almost a sense of desperation, in the lyrics.Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times